comfort food and grèves

In addition to the grève for the metro, there's also a strike at school. Yay (sarcasm). Arrived at school today, and all the entrances to the main buildings where classes are held are blocked off. Saw Sally who's supposed to pick up her dossiers at the photocopy place, but there's no way to get into the building. Tried the back way which is this staircase and bridge that crosses the street and goes straight to the building, but the entrance was blocked off by tables and chairs taken from the classrooms. It's so "guerilla" as Suzie put it later on. I wish I brought my camera to take pictures, it was nuts. A guy on a megaphone at the front of school was saying that there are no classes, all entrances are blocked. Freaking Armageddon.

It sucks that this has to happen while we're here, but Taylor told me that this happens all the time. How do people learn? I don't mind since it gives me time to work on other things like writing my script and writing in general, but it really sucks that I'm not in class like I should be.

While waiting for Suzie, I mentioned Breakfast in America, and Sally thought I literally wanted breakfast in America, but I explained that it was an American diner in the 5eme nearby me. What I really wanted was just an ice cold root beer. Then Sally got all hungry wanting a veggie burger. Then I got all hungry just waiting for Suzie. When Suzie came Sally and I were all, "We're going to go eat at Breakfast In America." Called up Kristin and Morgan, and we met up there.

Oh my gawd, as soon as I got there I was starving. Ever since I got to Paris I can go longer without food (around 5 hours) since my classes are so long and it takes a while to get from school to home to eat, but I was starving when I got there. We sat down and seriously, it was almost like being back at home. American music was playing. There was Heinz ketchup and yellow mustard on the table. Our waitress was an American girl (probably) who spoke to us in English. I ordered a root beer (A&W), and it was the most amazing thing ever. You know how when you really miss something, and then the moment you have it after that whole time of missing it, it's just better than any other time you have ever had it? Yeah. That was my experience. There's something about root beer that makes my taste buds burst with absolute joy.

Some of us had burgers, and they were pretty good. The portions were pretty big, like American big. I think. I'm kind of forgetting what American portions look like. I was really full at the end of it. There was this picture facing me from a scene in the diner that those people rob in Pulp Fiction, and that for some reason made me very happy. The owner of BIA went to USC film school and has all these people in film who invested in the diner, which is pretty cool.

Afterwards, we went to a store called "Thanksgiving" that sells American products. They even had root beer there! Score. I bought a jar of marshmallow spread so I can make fluffer nutter. I didn't get peanut butter though since it was too expensive. I'm sure I can find it somewhere else. The fluff was pretty cheap, and I like the jar it came in. I'm weird like that.

Then walked to St. Michel so that Suzie can buy an umbrella at the parapluie store. Then just walked some more and more, then got some Starbucks, then headed our separate ways.

Since class is canceled tomorrow because of the strike, I'm walking to Odeon through St. Germain to hear Sally, Susie, and Theresa's presentation on the St. Germain des Près for one of their classes that isn't canceled. It'll be cool.